Amy Wild

In the world of social media, where sites rise and fall, there’s something captivating about nostalgia. NoSpace is attempting to capitalise on this, by reviving the look and feel of the early 2000s web.

Every now and then, I think about MySpace profiles. Oh my god, they were chaotic. With cheetah print on one friend’s wall and skulls on another, revisiting those profiles is always a wild journey.

Back then, MySpace was more than just a social networking website. It was the social networking website.

A Brief History Of MySpace

MySpace was first launched in 2003. It was the first social network to reach a global audience, arguably resulting in the birth of modern internet culture. Although MySpace.com is still alive today, it doesn’t look anything like it did back then. Now, the site —and its impact — is largely considered to be a relic of the early 2000s. 

At its peak in 2007, MySpace had over 100 million monthly users and a staggering one billion registered users. Mark Zuckerberg even attempted to sell Facebook to MySpace for a whopping $75 million in 2005. Looking back, Zuckerberg is probably relieved the offer wasn’t accepted. Especially since, only three years later, MySpace would be dead in the water.

After peaking around 2008 to 2009, MySpace unofficially died.

People are often confused as to why such a successful website suddenly fell from grace. Well, the boom of MySpace users left the company scrambling to manage the site. Content was unmoderated, which led to a huge variety of problems, especially in the early days of the internet. Business decisions were poor and inconsistent, funding was wasted, and the MySpace team spent most of their time handling legal battles. As more social media sites popped up, MySpace struggled to compete and users gradually migrated to other platforms.

But, a decade and a half later, MySpace is finally being revived. Sort of.

What Is NoSpace?

During MySpace’s glory days, users could have their favourite songs, movies, and relationship statuses on their profile. But the most memorable feature was the top eight friends list. Choosing your top eight was a seemingly brutal task, which involved ranking friends and family on a public social ladder.

The creativity MySpace granted users was a major attraction, being able to customise their profiles however they wanted. There hasn’t really been anything like it since.

But in summer 2023, NoSpace (a site that dubs itself “MySpace 2.0”) emerged. Those of us who are nostalgic for MySpace can’t help but wonder if this app can mimic the ‘magic’ of early social media. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@nospace.app/video/7249982675140807978?lang=en

Like the old site, NoSpace allows users to personalise their profiles with different colours and designs. They can update their status with what they’re watching, reading, listening to, and their location. And, excitingly, the top eight lists are back!

Copying features and ideas is nothing new in the world of social networking. After all, MySpace was blatantly copying Friendster. But with the volume of social media platforms now available, you might ask if there’s any real point to NoSpace.

I mean, if MySpace couldn’t survive, why would NoSpace be any different? 

The Power Of NoSpace’s Marketing

The nostalgia factor certainly plays a role in the app’s initial success. NoSpace markets itself to millennials, invoking memories of a time “before all the algos and ads.” The app also aims to provide a similar experience to Gen Z, who missed out on MySpace’s golden years. With the popularity of Y2K movies, fashion, and icons, children and teenagers also want to experience the social media from the same era for the first time. 

For about an hour, the app provides a burst of fun. You can personalise your colourful profile and rate your eight BFF’s, cultivating your presence on the site. Due to the small amount of users, it’s also possible to snatch up a username you could never get anywhere else, such as a single word or celebrity name.

But, beyond the initial excitement and nostalgia, there isn’t much substance.

Since not many people have the app, posting a status can often feel pointless. To join NoSpace, you need to either join a waiting list (which is already longer than a NHS one) or get an invite code from a friend already using the app. While this inclusivity incites people to join the app, akin to an elite club, it significantly limits the social aspect of NoSpace once you’re signed up.

Nostalgia Can’t Beat Modernity

In all honesty, the app is currently a skeleton. The focus is on status updates and posts from others. Usually, these are from strangers and completely irrelevant to your interests because there’s no algorithm curating the experience. You can easily use more popular platforms (like Twitter/X, Instagram Threads, or Facebook) for the same purpose.

NoSpace also doesn’t have a direct messaging feature. It lacks community features, like the forums that were so popular on MySpace, so users are isolated. Using NoSpace often feels like screaming into an empty void.

“It remains to be seen if NoSpace can break the mould and compete with established social media giants.”

While NoSpace positions itself as MySpace 2.0, its simplicity might fall short in a constantly evolving digital world.

Numerous platforms have entered the digital arena with high hopes, but struggled to sustain their popularity. Platforms like BeReal and Instagram Threads, though they had their moments in the spotlight, never truly found their niche. Although, it’s notable that TikTok’s success was expected to be short-lived.

NoSpace may hold the attention of millennials with its nostalgic appeal. But its attractiveness to Gen Z might be limited, given their strong preference for short-form video content on platforms like TikTok. There are no photos or videos on NoSpace. A text-only platform may struggle to maintain engagement. 

Do We Even Want A New MySpace?

While Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram are constantly updating their features, MySpace has remained more or less stagnant. Despite the nostalgia for the site, nobody has returned to it.

Let’s face it, MySpace was great in its era. However, when measured against the advancements of other social medias, it doesn’t even come close in comparison. 

Previous attempts to revive the MySpace experience, like SpaceHay in 2020, largely went unnoticed. Therefore, it remains to be seen if NoSpace can break the mould and compete with established social media giants. In an era of constant innovation, NoSpace may have the allure of nostalgia. But can it carve a lasting niche in the ever-evolving digital landscape? I don’t think so. 

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Featured image courtesy of Rasheed Kemy on Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here. 

Amy graduated Cardiff University in June 2023, with a degree in Journalism and Communications. She is currently working in data analytics whilst doing freelance journalism on the side.

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